Sliding Pillars (not Looking Correct)

[Guest pixie clarke]

Hi All

 

I need some help on my sliding pillars, and I have a couple of questions.

Bit of back ground first, I have brought this car recently as a 50% build (well i would say 5%)

Basically I’m redoing everything and starting again as I have found so much wrong, and enjoying every minute of it (why did i do this years ago)

 

Anyway i have just got to the sliding pillars and something doesn’t look quite right, I have some Build DVD’s but they don’t go over the sliding pillars

 

Q1, do these look correct? (See pictures) As the bottom Bush on the shock absorber looks all twisted (and I wouldn’t think this would last long like this.

 

Q2, where can I get a replacement Bump stop (as you can see this one is cracked)

 

All this will get painted

 

Any help will be much appreciated

 

Paul

 

[NeilD]

Have to say I would consider going the wishbone conversion way. At your early build stage it is easier than building it then ripping it apart to do the conversion later.

[Guest sadjagboy]

Hi You need to add some more spacers to the bottom mount and probably put an angle on it too so it fits flush to the hub. The bump stop is from the fitting round the sierra struts (I think)which is cut down. Something similar off any car would do, a visit to the scrap yard is in order. Alternatively I think a very thick (10 to 15 mm) rubber donut type washer might be a viable alternative if you can find a couple.

 

A wishbone conversion would be good if funds allow, however if you are like me, the sliding pillar will have to do for now!

 

hope that helps

 

Angus

[Guest Ian Maycock]

I have a sliding pillar and Sagjagboy is correct it needs to be longer. Mine has slight angle but not as much the one in your picture and after 2.5 years is doing fine. You may need a long bolt as well.

 

Regarding the bumpstop, check the travel from the bottom of the strut to the inside of your wheel. if you dont get this right when cornering hard it will foul on the bottom of the wheel. The bumpstop needs to stop the strut about 15mm above the inside diameter of the wheel to allow for compression.

 

Iggy

[keith kelly]

i used a cortina compliance bush from ebay as a replacement the bump stop if you look through the sliding pillock posts you should find a link that some one posted.

 

having just recently put my pillars back together i can confirm that you defo need the spacer at the bottom to push the shock out and more in line.

[Tazzzzman1]

Hi,

 

Yes totally agree with the others. I ended up using a 30mm long spacer (if memory serves me correct). I have attached a piccie showing the finished assembly.

 

Couple of other pointers to look out for when you are assembling:

 

1/ Make sure that you have grease nipples put into the sliding part which you can access easily when assembled.

2/ Make new spacers to fit on the top bearings to spread any loads. Supplied spcaers/ instructions are basically a bit of tube which is too thin and will eventually crack the top bearing

3/ Strengthen the wing brackets. Read on here that they crack and ignored the advice. 1st one went after 500 miles. Simply weld two triangular fillets to the flat plate where the main sliding pillar fits.

4/ Cut off the stud at the end of the sliding pillar shaft. Drill out and fit a M10 stud. Much stronger, as there has been reported instances of the old stud snapping off.

 

I'm sure I've probably missed off something, but will add when I remember.

Hope this helps...good luck!

 

As others have said wish bones is the way to go, one of the jobs I have planned, but pockets aint deep enough yet!

 

[Guest pixie clarke]

Thanks all for the relies

 

What you have all said makes a lot of sense, i would love to go for a wishbone conversion but money and young kids stopping that, so Pillar all the way.

 

I have temporally put it all back together using the correct bolts and spacers and now looking a lot better,

i am also getting the stud replaced at the end of the pillar this weekend with M10’s so hopefully permanently back together after that..

 

I just have one more question after looking at your pictures i see that the Track Rod End is from the top down were mind is like the sierra bottom up ( hope you get what I mean)

I thought the Stub Axle was tapered?? If so how did you get around this?

 

I’m also having trouble finding a bush for the bump stop

 

Thanks again

Paul

[Guest Techmage]

Look like the bottom stop is cracking cause it's been painted. What you need is something like this but without the

metal sleeve (guees for the cost you could get these and force the sleeve out)

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/NEW-BUSH-OUTER-TRACK-CONTROL-ARM-FORD-ESCORT-/190360366522?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item2c525cadba

 

These look like what you have on there now

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Cortina-Mk3-Mk4-Mk5-tie-bar-bush-kit-/140408582931?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item20b100f313

 

and these are a rubber replacement

 

http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Ford-Cortina-Mk3-Tie-rod-bush-set-07-73-new-/270501374362?cmd=ViewItem&pt=UK_CarsParts_Vehicles_CarParts_SM&hash=item3efb23699a

[Bob Tucker]

The metro rack was a major problem with the sliding pillar.It caused severe "bump steer" because the tie rod moves in an arc while the hub lifts up along a straight line...there is no fix for this, but you can reduce it by lifting the rack up a bit.

The Metro tie rod taper was different to the Ford hub taper. The "recommended" bodge was to open up the top of the hub hole & fit the tie rod in from the top. This failed many SVAs.

It may be possible to tighten up the tie rod nut enough to lock it in place, otherwise the only proper fix is to have the hub modified and re-drill the correct taper. It may also be possible to sleeve the taper with a thin piece of hard metal (stainless?) to take up the slack, but you're on your own there as far as safety is concerned.

[Guest craig030774]

yep your right bob rover metro steering rack has to be lifted and i had to angle mine to clear the 4 branch manifold, i also welded up the hub and redilled then put a taper in to get a good fix for track rod end